Ace Frehley

Ace Frehley, born Paul Daniel Frehley (1951–2025), was an American guitarist and songwriter best known as the founding lead guitarist of the rock band Kiss, which he joined at its formation in 1973. Known for his flamboyant «Spaceman» persona and smoking guitar gimmick, Frehley became one of the defining visual and musical figures of the glam-influenced hard rock era, contributing a raw, blues-based lead style that stood in contrast to the band's more theatrical vocal numbers.

He first departed Kiss in 1982 to pursue a solo career, releasing several albums under his own name and with his band Frehley's Comet. His 1978 Kiss solo album was the best-selling of the four simultaneous solo releases by the band's members, driven largely by his cover of «New York Groove», originally recorded by Hello, which became a Top 20 U.S. hit and remains his signature song. He rejoined Kiss for their high-profile 1996 reunion tour, remaining with the band through the end of their so-called Farewell Tour in 2002.

Frehley continued releasing solo material in the decades that followed, including «Stratosphere», «Life of a Stranger», and «Bronx Boy», maintaining a dedicated fanbase and critical respect as a guitarist. Guitar World ranked him among the 14th Greatest Metal Guitarists of All Time, cementing his legacy as both a founding architect of Kiss's sound and a respected solo artist in hard rock.